This invention relates to an actuator swing arm mechanism and more particularly to a mechanism by which a rotary actuator of a robot causes a robot arm to swing.
Robots are coming to be used for performing tasks of various types. A robot for picking up an object and transporting it to another place, for example, is provided with a swing arm for reaching out to a target position and a rotary actuator for causing this arm to swing around an axis. Since the drive shaft of the rotary actuator and the swing arm are thus in a motion-communicating relationship, the load which is being supported by the swing arm may be directly applied onto the drive shaft of the actuator. If this is the case, the actuator must be designed so as to make its drive shaft sufficiently strong to withstand the load communicated from the swing arm. In the case of a robot intended to handle a large load, the actuator must be made correspondingly stronger and this may increase the cost of the actuator unreasonably.